| Oracle® Retail Predictive Application Server User Guide for the Fusion Client Release 16.0 E81120-03 |
|
 Previous |
 Next |
| Oracle® Retail Predictive Application Server User Guide for the Fusion Client Release 16.0 E81120-03 |
|
Previous |
Next |
Welcome to Oracle Retail RPAS Fusion Client. This chapter provides an overview that includes information to help you get started with the application. It includes the following sections:
The RPAS Fusion Client is a web-based rich client for the Retail Predictive Application Server (RPAS) platform developed using the latest Oracle Application Development Framework (ADF).
Planning is one of the most important and complex processes in a retail business. It typically involves a detailed set of activities that need to be followed as part of a workflow. Unlike the RPAS Windows-based Classic Client, the Fusion Client includes a taskflow feature that provides a robust workflow capability to make each planning activity easier to track and maintain.
The Fusion Client uses the same RPAS server as the RPAS Windows-based Classic Client. In addition to the enhanced user experience, the Fusion Client provides access to a larger number of users and a greater degree of platform independence.
The taskflow also allows you to switch between solutions and domains without logging out and back in.
The Fusion Client supports dynamic hierarchies. For details, see Oracle Retail Predictive Application Server Configuration Tools.
The RPAS platform and Fusion Client form part of the Merchandising Planning and Optimization solutions. Figure 1-1 shows an example of a retail enterprise with the Fusion Client application implemented with the RPAS server hosting an RPAS application. It provides a high-level overview of where the Fusion Client application fits in a typical retail enterprise.
RPAS is a configurable platform with a proven scalability for developing multidimensional forecasting and planning based solutions. This platform provides capabilities such as a multidimensional database structure, batch and online processing, a configurable slice-and-dice user interface, a sophisticated configurable calculation engine, user security and utility functions such as importing and exporting, all on a highly scalable technical environment that can be deployed on a variety of hardware.
This section introduces you to the following RPAS concepts:
In RPAS, information is stored and represented based on the multidimensional framework. In a multidimensional database system, data is presented as a multidimensional array, where each individual data value is contained within a cell accessible by multiple indexes.
Multidimensional database systems are a complementary technology to entity relational systems and achieve performance levels above the relational database systems. Applications that run on RPAS identify data through dimensional relationships. Dimensions are qualities of an item (such as a product, location, or time) or components of a dimension that define the structure and roll up within the dimension.
Dimensions describe the top-to-bottom relationship between the levels or positions of the dimensions in RPAS. They reflect the dimensions set up at your business and used by the merchandising solutions.
RPAS supports many alternative dimensions that provide different roll ups and can help you analyze the data from a different perspective.
Measures represent the events or measurements that are recorded, while the positions in the dimensions provide a context for the measurement. Measures are defined based on the business rules set in the application. The dimensionality of a measure is configured through the definition of its base intersection, which is the collection of levels (one per appropriate dimension) defining the lowest level at which the information is stored for the measure.
Measure names are completely configurable and typically named using a convention that identifies each component and the meaning of the measure.
RPAS stores information in a persistent multidimensional data cache that is optimized for large volumes and dimensional or time series data access requirements, typically required by multidimensional solutions. This central repository is called a domain. The domain also includes central definitions of metadata for the solution and provides a single update point.
When you use an RPAS solution, you interact with the solution through a personal data repository called a workbook. A workbook contains the subset of the data (and metadata) from the domain, and its scope is constrained by the access rights available to a user. Workbooks are stored on the RPAS server and can be built using an online wizard process or scheduled to be built in a batch process automatically.
Although the data and metadata in the workbook are copied from the domain, the data remains independent of the domain.
With a multi-solution taskflow, you do not log into a domain. You are logged into a solution. When you pick a particular task, you will be directed to a specific domain, based on a few settings. First, there is a task setting that indicates whether it is accessible via the master domain only, local domain only, or both. If the setting is local domain only or both, the specific domain you are launched into will be based on the position level security on the partition dimension. If you have access to only a single local domain, you will be logged into that specific local domain. If you have access to more than one local domain, you will be prompted to select the positions you want to work with, and based on that, you will be logged into a specific local domain or the master domain.
There are some key terminology differences between the Fusion Client and Classic Client. Understanding these differences is useful if you are moving from the Classic Client or if you have used the Classic Client before using the Fusion Client. The following table describes the differences.
Table 1-1 Terminology in the Fusion Client and Classic Client
| Fusion Client Term | Term Description | Classic Client Term |
|---|---|---|
|
Dimension |
Grouping of a particular type of information. Typical dimensions are for products, locations, time, and measures. For instance, a Product dimension can contain information about items, item groups, departments, and divisions. |
Hierarchy |
|
Level |
A subdivision of a dimension. Levels group information of the same type. For instance, a level within the Product dimension can be Department. The Department level contains all the departments (men's shoes, women's shoes, children's shoes) that exist. |
Dimension |
|
View |
Multidimensional spreadsheets that are used to display information from the workbook. Workbooks can include one view or multiple views, which can present data in the form of numbers in a grid. These numeric data values can easily be converted to a graphical chart. Data can be viewed at a very high level of detail, or data values can be quickly aggregated and viewed at summary levels. You can display the information in a view in a variety of formats, generally by rotating, changing the data rollup, showing and hiding measures, and drilling up or down. |
Worksheet |
The Fusion Client can be accessed using Apple Safari, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, or Mozilla Firefox. A list of the supported versions of browsers is included in the Oracle Retail Predictive Application Server Installation Guide. Before you access the application for the first time, you should set the following browser settings to allow seamless and error-free access:
Based on the zone where the application is installed, you may configure your browser settings for Local intranet or as a Trusted sites zone.
|
Important: Do not select Internet unless you have been instructed to do so by an administrator. In most cases, the application is available on your company's intranet (Local intranet) or an Oracle trusted site (Trusted sites). |
Before starting the Fusion Client, set up the browser's cache so that temporary internet files are deleted every time you visit a web page. The cache settings are typically found in the browser's tool menu.
If using Internet Explorer, you should configure the browser security settings to improve the user experience.
To set the security settings, complete the following steps:
Start Internet Explorer.
From the Tools menu, click Internet Options.
On the Security tab, click Local intranet, and then click Sites.
On the Local intranet window, click Advanced.
In the Add this website to the zone field, enter the application URL, click Add, and then click Close.
On the Local intranet window, click OK.
In the Security level for this zone area, click Custom level....
In the Security Settings - Local Intranet Zone window, select the Prompt or Enable option for the following parameters:
Table 1-2 Parameters in the Security Settings Window
| Category | Parameter Name |
|---|---|
|
ActiveX controls and plug-ins |
|
|
Download signed ActiveX controls |
|
|
Initialize and script ActiveX controls not marked as safe for scripting |
|
|
Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins |
|
|
Downloads |
|
|
File download For additional security settings for exporting views, see Export |
|
|
Miscellaneous |
|
|
Allow websites to open without address or status bars |
|
|
Scripting |
|
|
Active scripting |
|
After you set up these parameters, click OK. A message appears that prompts you for a confirmation of the changes to the settings for the zone.
Click Yes to accept the changes. Based on the settings you changed, you may need to restart Internet Explorer for the changes to take effect.
About Prompt and Enable Options
The Prompt option provides a confirmation message box each time a specific action occurs on the web browser (for example, Download signed ActiveX controls). The browser grants access to the actions, based on your response.The Enable setting provides direct access to the specified action without any notification.
You may select the Prompt option for the download options because the downloads typically occur one time. For the running and scripting actions, since they occur frequently, you may select the Enable option. If you select the Prompt option, you may have to respond to a message box several times in an application session.
|
Note: The only way to log into the Fusion Client is with external authentication. |
Before you log into the Fusion Client, ensure that your system meets the recommended configuration requirements. For more information, see the Oracle Retail Predictive Application Server Installation Guide.
After you check the configuration, obtain the following information:
Uniform Resource Locator, URL – Enter the URL or the web address of the application in the web browser to access the application. For example:
http://<fullyqualifieddomainname>:<port>/rpas
User name and Password – Based on the tasks you want to perform, obtain a user account (that includes user name and password) to log onto the application.
What you see when logging in depends on the type of external authentication used. The Fusion Client login page appears only when you use LDAP for authentication. In the case of Single Sign-On, the Single Sign-On login page will appear. If you are using Single Sign-on (SSO), you may select a link in a portal and then see the home page.
To log into the Fusion Client:
Open a supported internet browser.
In the Address bar, enter the Fusion Client URL and press Enter. The Fusion Client Login page appears.
On the Login page, enter the username and password.
Click Login. The window refreshes, and the home page of the RPAS Fusion Client is shown.
All the activities, tasks, and steps across all the configured solutions to which you have access are displayed. See "Understanding the Taskflow".
If a dialog appears telling you that no RPAS solutions are available or you are missing tasks, the RPAS server could be down or there could be some other connection issue. In this case, log out and log on later when the issue is fixed.
If you have accessed the RPAS Fusion Client through a single sign-on environment such as the Oracle Retail Workspace portal, you see the home page of the RPAS Fusion Client (Figure 1-6).
|
Note: For more information about single sign-on (SSO), see the Oracle Retail Predictive Application Server Administration Guide for the Fusion Client. |
You can also access a workbook in the RPAS Fusion Client through the standalone guided launch. Guided launch allows users to click a link to automatically log into the Fusion Client and open or build a particular workbook.
If the workspace is configured to have guided launch, then a link or button is displayed, like the one shown in Figure 1-7.
Depending upon how the guided launch is configured, the RPAS Fusion Client appears in a new browser window or within a pane within the same browser window with the configured workbook already open.
If you already have a user session of the Fusion Client running in a domain, you can start a second or concurrent session at the same time. When logging into the Fusion Client, if you have a concurrent session running, you see the following message:
Select one of the following options:
Terminate existing sessions and create new ones: This option closes any existing connections for the user in that domain.
Start concurrent sessions as necessary: This option allows the user to have multiple connections within the domain. This does not affect any prior user connections to the domain.
|
Note: For information about the number of allowed concurrent sessions, see the ”System Administration” chapter of the Oracle Retail Predictive Application Server Administration Guide for the Fusion Client. |
To have multiple sessions means that you have more than one Fusion Client session connected to an RPAS domain, whether the connection is to the same domain or the same username.
|
Note: You must not open the same workbook in more than one tab. |
The supported browsers handle multiple sessions differently. Table 1-3 describes the multiple session handling of each browser.
Table 1-3 Browser Multiple Session Handling
| Browser | Multiple Session Handling |
|---|---|
|
Internet Explorer |
Use separate windows, rather than separate tabs. Note: For Internet Explorer 8, a special setup is required for multiple sessions to function properly: Option 1: From the Internet Explorer File menu, select the New Session option. Option 2: Update the Internet Explorer shortcut to include the following command line switch: "C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe" -noframemerging Use this shortcut every time. Option 3: Create a registry string called FrameMerging:
|
|
Firefox |
Create a program shortcut with the following target: "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -no-remote -p Use this shortcut every time. The shortcut launches Firefox with a random profile. Since this profile does not exist, the profile manager dialog appears. When invoking this shortcut for the first time, create a profile for each concurrent session you need. After the first use, you can select the desired profile and create the Fusion Client session. Each profile has a different session. Ensure that you do not create a profile called random. |
|
Chrome |
Create a Fusion Client session from one Chrome window. To create another session, click the wrench icon and then select the New incognito window menu option. This launches a new Chrome window. In this new window, create a new Fusion Client session. This method has a limitation: you can create only one incognito window session. Multiple incognito windows merely share the same session. |
The taskflow is displayed on the left of your screen and helps you easily navigate through the activities in the application. It provides a pre-configured business workflow organized into expandable and collapsible activity groups, activities, tasks, and steps.
|
Note: The taskflow also appears when you log onto the application. |
Each activity consists of more than one task and each task may consist of one or more steps. In the Fusion Client, each solution (spanning across multiple workbooks) is represented as a set of activities, tasks, and steps. The activities can also be grouped into an activity group.
A multi-solution taskflow allows for a single point-of-access to multiple RPAS solutions. A taskflow can contain activities from a single RPAS solution or from multiple solutions. For multiple solutions, activity groups can be used to integrate activities from the solutions into a unified taskflow configuration that spans those solutions. The activity group provides an integrated workflow that represents the business process across multiple solutions, that is, it organizes activities from multiple solutions so the activities can be presented together under a single organizing entity.
With the multi-solution taskflow, you can log into the Fusion Client and have access to multiple solutions and domains.
|
Note: The taskflow is configured for the required domains during implementation. For more information on this configuration, see the Oracle Retail Predictive Application Server Configuration Tools User Guide. |
Figure 1-9 shows an example of a multi-solution taskflow configured with activity groups, activities, tasks, and steps.
In the Fusion Client, the workflow illustrated in Figure 1-9 appears in the following manner:
In the taskflow, you can click the Expand icon next to any task to view the associated steps. When you are working with a specific step, an arrow icon appears in the taskflow indicating the current step and your position in the workflow.
The Create New Workbook, Open Latest Workbook, and Show List of Workbooks icons that appear next to each task or step enable you to create new workbooks or open existing workbooks. You can find more information on creating new workbooks and opening existing workbooks in Chapter 1, "Getting Started".
Figure 1-11 illustrates the icons that appear in the taskflow.
Table 1-4 describes the icons that appear with all the entries in the taskflow.
Table 1-4 Description of Icons in the Taskflow
| Legend | Icon Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
|
A |
Activity Groups |
These tabs represent the grouping of activities. |
|
B |
Activities |
These tabs represent the predefined activities of the application. |
|
C |
Tasks |
These are individual tasks within an activity. Tasks that have a workbook associated with it display a clipboard icon. |
|
D |
Current Position Icon |
Indicates the current step and your position in the workflow. |
|
E |
Steps |
One or more steps make up each task. |
|
F |
Create a New Workbook |
Click this icon to create a new workbook. The new workbook wizard associated with the relevant task appears. |
|
G |
Open the Latest Workbook |
Click this icon to view the latest workbook (associated with the relevant task/step) you worked on. Note that this latest workbook is with respect to the user's session and not the username in general. Clicking this icon will open the latest saved workbook that was accessed within the user session. |
|
H |
Show List of Workbooks |
Click this icon to view a list of all workbooks (associated with the relevant task/step) accessible to you. The Open Workbook window appears with a list of accessible workbooks. If you do not own any workbooks that you own, a message appears allowing you to view all workbooks. If no workbooks are associated with the task/step, created by you or by someone else, a message appears that allows you to create a new workbook. |
|
I |
Collapse/Restore Icon |
Click this icon to collapse or restore the taskflow. Collapsing the taskflow allows you to view more content in the Contents area. After you open a workbook, the state of the taskflow is maintained when navigating between workbooks and the home page. For instance, if you are in a workbook and the taskflow is collapsed, when you navigate to the home page and then return to a workbook, the taskflow remains collapsed because that was its last state. The state of the taskflow after the first workbook is built or opened in a user session is controlled by the rpasConfig.properties file. For information on changing this setting, see the rpasConfig.properties section of the Oracle Retail Predictive Application Server Administration Guide for the Fusion Client. |
|
J |
Dynamic Task |
A dynamic task is one that has steps that are dynamic, based on the selection you makes when building the associated workbook. The steps are not shown unless you are within a workbook. Dynamic tasks display a clipboard with a lightning bolt icon. |
The activity and tasks that appear in the taskflow are access-based. Depending upon the security settings, you may not have access to some tasks or activities. Access to a task is defined by whether you have access to the workbook template that the task is assigned to.
The access to the workbook template is maintained in the Security Administration step. See the Oracle Retail Predictive Application Server Administration Guide for the Fusion Client for more information about the Administration activity. If you do not have access to a workbook template, then you cannot build the workbooks for the associated tasks and steps.
Hiding specific tasks or activities based on user access is configurable. In the configuration, a task can be set to either hidden or disabled. If it is hidden and the user does not have access to it, then the task is not displayed. If it is disabled and the user does not have access, then the task is displayed but the links to access the workbooks are disabled. For more information, refer to the Oracle Retail Predictive Application Server Configuration Tools User Guide.
When working within multiple steps or tasks, all changes you make in a specific step are maintained when you move to a step in the same task or a different task associated with the same workbook template. In this case, you do not need to save your work when you switch between tasks within the same workbook template.
If you switch to a task that is associated with a different workbook template, you are prompted to save or discard the changes before opening or building a new workbook. To save your changes, use the Save As dialog box. For more information on the Save As dialog box, see Save As Option.
After you log onto the application, a taskflow appears that you can use to navigate through the activities and tasks associated with your user account.
To open a workbook:
In the taskflow, click the Show List of Workbooks icon next to the task/step you want. For more information on the taskflow, see the Understanding the Taskflow section.
The Open Workbook window appears. When using a combined taskflow, you see all the workbooks across all domains that you have access to.
Select the workbook you want, and click Open Workbook.
|
Note: If the workbook DimRegistry version is different from the domain DimRegistry version, a warning message appears:”Workbook and Domain DimRegistry versions are not matching. May cause performance delay while opening and processing workbooks.” For more information about DimRegistry, see the ”Reindexing Domains” section of the Oracle Retail Predictive Application Server Administration Guide for the Fusion Client. |
Figure 1-14 highlights the various components of the Open Workbook dialog.
Table 1-5 describes the screen components of the Open Workbook window:
Table 1-5 Open Workbook Window User Interface Components
| Legend | Screen Area Name | Position | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
A |
View menu |
Top Left |
The View menu enables you to view all the workbooks that you own. It also provides you the option to show or hide any column in the workbooks grid. It also lets you see workbooks in domains that you do not have position level security access to, for example, to open a workbook saved by another user. |
|
B |
Rename icon |
Top Left |
Use to rename a workbook. |
|
C |
Delete icon |
Top Left |
Use to delete a workbook. For more information, see Deleting a Workbook. |
|
D |
Find field, Previous and Next arrows |
Top Center |
Use to identify the workbooks with the keywords you entered in the Find field. Use the Previous and Next arrows to navigate between the workbooks matching the search pattern. The search is not case-sensitive. |
|
E |
Workbooks grid |
Center |
Displays the list of workbooks in the current profile. By default, only the workbooks that you own appear. To view all the workbooks, under the View menu, click All. The grid also holds the total number of real time alerts. Move derail can be obtained by mousing over a specific cell. |
|
F |
Cancel icon |
Bottom Right |
Use to cancel an action and exit the Open Workbook window. |
|
G |
Open Workbook icon |
Bottom Right |
After you select the workbook you want, click this icon to open the workbook. Note: You can open only one workbook at a time. |
The new workbook wizard enables you to create workbooks based on the templates set up during the implementation as well as RPAS administration templates. These templates typically represent a high-level business activity in your organization.
Based on the configuration, each template in the RPAS domain may include many measures at different intersections. Each workbook template is associated with one of the following wizards that help you filter and include the relevant information for the workbook:
Standard Two Tree Wizard is a set of similar looking two tree pages that help select positions in different dimensions.
Custom Wizard offers flexibility when configuring custom pages for choosing positions.
The wizards are set up and associated with the workbook template using the RPAS Configuration tool.
To create a new workbook:
In the taskflow, click the Create New Workbook icon next to the task/step you want. For more information on the taskflow, see the Understanding the Taskflow section.
Select the domain for the workbook. If you only have position level security for positions within a single local domain or the task type is set to master only, this dialog box is not displayed. There are two options within this domain selection dialog:
Select by Position: You are presented with positions for the partitioned hierarchy, and you can select the positions that work within for the selected task. See Figure 1-16.
When you select a position, all the other positions in the same domain are shown on the right. Since choosing the domain is the goal, that may be enough. If you select a position that crosses domains, it will select the master domain if that is permitted by the task and template.
|
Note: This selection of positions is different than the selections made in the wizard. You must select positions in the wizard to indicate the specific positions that need to be included in the workbook. |
Select by domain name: To select the master domain or a specific domain, select Select by Domain Name. See Figure 1-16. Select the master domain or a local domain from the menu.
Based on the configuration of the workbook template, an associated wizard appears. The wizard provides you with positions that help you filter and include the relevant information in the workbook.
In the Available Items area, select the positions you want by holding down the Ctrl or Shift keys and click Add. You can click Add All to select all the positions.
Or, drag and drop the positions to the Selected Items area.
|
Note: In order to drag and drop multiple positions at the same time, you must do the following:Hold down the Shift key or the Ctrl key and, using the mouse, move the cursor to highlight each position you want to move, keeping the cursor in the non-text area. You must keep the mouse button depressed after you finish highlighting and then drag your selection to the Selected Items area. |
Follow the instructions in the wizard, and after you have selected the positions you want, click Finish.
From the list of workbooks, you can delete any workbook you have write access to. To delete a workbook:
On the Open Workbook window, select the workbook you want.
To delete more than one workbook, hold the Ctrl key and select the workbooks you want to delete. Or, you can hold Shift and select a group of workbooks.
Click Delete. A warning message appears.
Review the warning message and then click Delete to delete the workbooks or click Cancel to cancel this operation.
The open workbook dialog box enables you to rename existing workbooks without affecting the data within the workbook or the other workbook information, such as the created date, modified date, and formatting information.
Keep in mind these key points when renaming workbooks:
You can only rename workbooks that you have write access to.
Workbook names can be no more than 32 characters.
Workbook names cannot contain double or single quotation marks.
Workbooks cannot be named ”Untitled.” This name is reserved.
To rename a workbook in the open workbook dialog box, complete the following steps.
Select the workbook you want to rename from the list. When selected, it becomes shaded, as shown in Renaming a Workbook.
Click Rename.
The Rename Workbook dialog box appears. Enter the new name of the workbook and click OK.
The renamed workbook appears in the workbook list.
You can also rename a workbook from the File menu. For more information about this option, see Renaming Workbooks.
Figure 1-22 highlights the various components of the workbook wizard.
Table 1-6 describes the screen components of the workbook wizard window.
Table 1-6 Workbook Wizard Window User Interface Components
| Legend | Screen Area Name | Position | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
A |
Available Items area |
Center Left |
Displays the positions that are available for you to select. |
|
B |
View menu |
Center Left, within the Available Items area |
Provides options for viewing the available positions. You can adjust the column setting, detach the list to view it in a larger window, expand or collapse the positions, or scroll to the beginning or end of the list. |
|
C |
Dimension menu |
Center Left, within the Available Items area |
Opens the Dimension options window where you can select the levels of the dimension you want to view in the Available Items list. You can also select the attributes that you would like to see and sort by in the list. |
|
D |
Find field, Previous and Next arrows |
Center Left, within the Available Items area |
Used to identify the positions with the keywords you entered in the Find field. Use the Previous and Next arrows to navigate between the workbooks matching the search pattern. The search is not case-sensitive. |
|
E |
Detach |
Left corner of the Available Items and Selected Items areas |
Used to view the list of positions in a larger window. |
|
F |
Wizard Taskflow |
Top Center |
Displays the steps in the wizard process and shows you where you are within that process. The wizard taskflow is configured in the RPAS Configuration Tools. For more information, see the Oracle Retail Predictive Application Server Configuration Tools User Guide. |
|
G |
Selected Items area |
Center Right |
Displays the positions you selected. It also includes a toolbar that enables you to perform various functions. |
|
H |
Load Favorite icon |
Center Right, within the Selected Items area |
Used to select a previously saved group of positions to load into the workbook. For more information, see Saving and Loading Favorites. |
|
I |
Save Favorite icon |
Center Right, within the Selected Items area |
Used to save the positions you have selected as group. The next time you build a new workbook, you can select and load that group rather than choosing the same positions individually again. For more information, see Saving and Loading Favorites. |
|
J |
Add and Add All icons |
Center |
Used to add positions that are selected in the Available Items area. To add all positions in the Available Items area, click the Add All icon. |
|
K |
Remove and Remove All icons |
Center |
Used to remove positions in the Selected Items area. To remove all positions in the Selected Items area, click the Remove All icon. |
|
L |
Wizard Navigation icon |
Bottom Right |
Used to navigate from one wizard page to another. After you have made the selections for the workbook and clicked Finish, the workbook builds with the selected positions. |
|
M |
Synchronize Hierarchies check box |
Bottom Left |
When selected, the displayed levels within the Selected Items area match the ones in the Available Items area. This is selected by default. |
After you have selected the positions that you want to appear in the workbook you are building, you can save that collection of positions for future use by using the Save Favorite and Load Favorite features. You can save the collection of positions for each dimension presented in the workbook wizard.
To save the selected positions as a favorite, complete the following:
After you have moved the positions to the Selected Items area, click the Save Favorite icon or select Save Favorites from the View menu. See Figure 1-23.
The Save Favorites window appears. Enter the name of the favorite in the Label field. In the Access field, choose one of the following:
User: This option makes the favorite available to only the user who created it.
World: This option makes the favorite available to all users.
Note that previously saved favorites are listed in the table.
When finished, click Save. If you would like to abandon the changes, click Cancel.
When saving positions in the Calendar dimension, you have the option to use a relative calendar rather than the predefined time periods that are shown in the wizard. This enables you to use a range of time periods that are relative to the current date. As time passes, the calendar favorite updates the range of time to be in relation to the new date.
The length of the time periods is determined by the lowest level of the Calendar dimension presented in the wizard. For instance, if the lowest level in the wizard is Week, then when you select the time range in the relative calendar option, you choose the number of weeks to include.
To use the relative calendar feature, complete the following:
In the calendar step of the workbook wizard, click the Save Favorite icon. You do not need to move a position to the Selected Items list.
In the Save Favorites window, enter the name in the Label field and select the access level in the Access field.
At the bottom of the window, select the Use Relative Calendar option.
In the Start field, enter the number or use the arrows to choose the number of time periods in relation to today's date for the start period. For instance, if the workbook's lowest calendar level is week and you want the time period to begin 2 weeks in the past from today's date, you would enter -2. If you wanted it to begin 2 weeks in the future, you would enter 2.
In the End field, enter the number of weeks in relation to today's date that you want the time period to end.
When finished, click Save.
To change or update a favorite, complete the following:
Move the updated set of positions to the Selected Items area.
Click the Save Favorite icon or select Save Favorites from the View menu.
In the Save Favorites window, select the favorite that you want to edit from the list.
Update the Access level if necessary.
Click Save. The favorite now includes the new set of positions.
After you have saved a favorite, you can load it into to the workbook wizard. Loading favorites into the wizard rather than selecting individual positions from the wizard every time you create a workbook will save you time.
To load a favorite, complete the following:
In the workbook wizard, click the Load Favorite icon.
The Load Favorites window appears. Click the favorite you want to load. The Load Favorites window automatically closes.
In the workbook wizard, the positions from the favorite now appear in the Selected Items area.
There are certain circumstances where the create workbook custom wizard results in some extra worksheets that are not part of the Fusion Client taskflow. This can occur when the number of worksheets being created is dependent on the number of extra intersections that are selected by the user during the workbook creation process.
There is no way of determining from icons in the taskflow which tasks have extra measures associated with them. This can only be determined when the workbook wizard is in use. Both the Standard and Custom workbook wizards can have an additional stage added to select extra measures.
As there may be dozens of extra measures that could potentially be added to the workbook, it is not possible to configure the task flow to accommodate all the permutations. Accordingly, the views for extra measures are accessible in the views docking area, but not in the Taskflow Area.
Working with extra measures in the activity flow is similar to working with steps that can be selected from the task flow. The sole difference being that steps associated with extra measures can only be selected from the Views Docking Area. The following conditions apply:
If the task has a single step assigned to it in the taskflow, any additional worksheets will be assigned to that step.
If the worksheet has a single task and multiple steps, the additional worksheets will be accessible from each step.
If one or more steps of a task have been configured with tabs, then all the configured tabs will display the additional worksheets.
RPAS has the ability to display plug-ins from other applications.
As well as displaying information from other RPAS domains in the Fusion Client via the standard client/server relationship, the capability exists to integrate plug-ins from external applications into RPAS. This allows data to be used from other sources.
For example, a plug-in can be configured to read data out of a relational database and present it in read-only form to a user in RPAS. That user could then use the information to update data within RPAS.
In order for these plug-ins to be visible in the Fusion client, a series of preparatory actions must be carried out. A brief overview is as follows:
Develop Package
The initial stage is to create a UI that is RPAS compliant. This UI must meet a set of stringent technical requirements.
Configure the Application Within RPAS
This requires a series of updates or edits to the files used to configure the application. These specify the data source, selection context, and metrics to be displayed.
|
Note: See the RPAS Configuration Tools User Guide for more information. |
This section specifies three ways in which plug-ins can be made available to users within RPAS.
The first option is to make the plug-ins available to the user from the RPAS home page. It should occupy the content area, leaving room for the alert area.
The second option is to add the plug-in to the task flow. The plug-in must be regarded as a task or step in the task flow. The pertinent changes must be made in the Configuration Module before it is available to standard users. The user can then select the plug-in at the appropriate period in the business process.
OBIEE reports are configured using a combination of configuration files, including Taskflow_MultiSolution.xml, MultiSolutionBundle.properties, and reportConfig.xml. See RPAS Configuration Tools User Guide and Oracle Retail Predictive Application Server Administration Guide for the Fusion Client for details.
If a report or reports have been configured for a specific worksheet, you will see those reports listed in the context menu under Plugins when you make a worksheet selection, as shown in List of Reports. Depending on the report configuration, selected cells are typically used to filter the report.
When you select a report from the list of available reports to view, you see the report displayed in a new window. Each report you select from the list is generated in a separate window. The contents of the report depend on the selection you initially make in the worksheet. If you change the selection and launch the report again, the report is refreshed.
As with other plug-ins launched from the context of a worksheet, report windows can be resized, repositioned, and deleted, In addition, the launch is remembered upon workbook save. This means that when you reopen the workbook, you see the report again without the need to relaunch it.
To see the commit status of a workbook without opening it, click Commit Status in the global toolbar.
The Commit Status dialog box appears. It lists all workbooks that have been created in the domain. In a combined taskflow, all the workbooks across the domains to which you have access are displayed. The workbook's solution, task type, domain, submission time, owner, submitter, commit status, and completion time are displayed. To see how the commit status appears when a workbook is open, see the Viewing Commit Statuses section. This section also describes how to use this dialog box.
|
Note: Commit status has meaning only for a commit asap, not commit now. The Fusion Client does only commit asap. To use commit status, you use commit asap. |
Site administrators can broadcast announcements to logged-in RPAS Fusion Client users about imminent events. Up to three messages can be displayed on the user's login, home, or workbook screens.
To see the announcement of a workbook without opening it, click Announcement in the global toolbar.
The Announcement dialog box appears.
To determine the version of RPAS Fusion Client and server, click the About link in the global header.
The About Oracle RPAS Fusion Client dialog box appears, displaying client and server versions. It also lists the solutions to which you are connected. In this example, you can see that you have access to one solution in the taskflow configuration.
To access online help, click Help in the global header.
The online help appears in a new browser window. If more than one help set is available, you can choose which one to view by selecting it from the Book drop-down field. If there is only one help set, the field is shaded.
The contents of the online help set are shown in the Contents section of the navigation bar on the left. Click the Expand icon next to the folders to drill down to the help topics. Click the page you want to view. It appears in the content area.
To log out of the application, click Logout in the global toolbar.
For some SSO configurations, you may see ”End Session <username>” instead. This will log you out of your RPAS session only, but not SSO. If you see Logout, it is configured to log you out of SSO as well.
|
Note: You may be prompted to save and commit the workbook data before logging out of the application. |
